John Glenn

Gallery number - 12

Astronaut

Ohio is a state renowned for its astronauts. While Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, might come to mind, it was actually John Glenn who made history as the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth. Beyond his achievements in space, John Glenn also served as a U.S. Senator from Ohio, further cementing his legacy both in space exploration and public service.

This painting introduced the costume into the portrait, which is largely unimportant in the other works. I wanted the astronaut to float into space, so the blues and purples helped achieve that feeling. I played David Bowie's Rocket Man over a few times while working on this painting.